Stand by me
by Rac4hel414
Summary: Troy and Gabriella met each other two years ago during summer vacation but, now she is the new girl at East High. At first, she declines their relationship but, when she reveals why, Troy must convince her that he loves her no matter what.
1. Prologue

**A/N: This is my new story. lol. This starts off in 2006, okay? In chapter 1, it'll go into the present. cool? Got it? Read, review, enjoy! lol. Don't own HSM

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Prologue

Gabriella walked along the Spanish street and smiled slightly. She had grown up in a town much like the one she was currently on vacation in during the first four years of her life and she felt her body sigh with happiness. Her thumbs were hooked into the belt loops of her denim skirt and she suddenly turned right into an ice cream parlour. As she joined the queue, she unzipped her purse and brought out her wallet. She stepped forward so she was second in line and giggled at the lack of Spanish knowledge the guy in front of her had.

"Uno hermano, por favor." (A/N: One brother, please) He said, stuttering slightly as he struggled to find the word.

She stepped beside him and smiled at the waiter behind the counter. "Perdóneme." (A/N: Excuse me) She turned to the guy and smiled. "What flavour?"

"Uh…Chocolate." He replied after a moment with his brow furrowed.

She turned back to the waiter and pointed at the tubs underneath the glass counter. "Dos coco, por favor." (A/N: Two chocolate, please.)

The waiter smiled and nodded. "Por supuesto. Cinco euros, por favor." He turned around and grabbed two bowls, starting to prepare the ice creams. (A/N: Of course. Five euros please)

Gabriella turned back to the guy and laughed as his shocked expression. "Close your mouth. You're not catching flies."

"Okay, you're obviously American but, how did you know that?" He asked in amazement.

"I grew up here when I was a little girl. I'm not directly Spanish but… Anyway, it's two fifty for yours and two fifty for mine." She started rummaging for the right change but felt a hand on hers, causing her to lift her head. "What?"

The boy smiled down on her and he dug his hand into the back pocket of his jeans, retrieving his wallet. "It's on me. You helped me. It's the least I can do."

She chewed her bottom lip thoughtfully before finally nodding. "Okay. But, next time it's on me."

He nodded and winked. "It's a deal."

The waiter placed two bowls of chocolate ice cream and two spoons onto a tray and took the money. "Gracias. Adiós." **(A/N: Thank you. Good bye.)**

"Muchas gracias." Gabriella said appreciatively. **(A/N: Thank you very much.)**

The waiter nodded, placing the money into the till. "De nada." **(A/N: No problem)**

The boy lifted the tray and turned to Gabriella. "Do you want to sit with me?"

Gabriella nodded. "I'd like that."

The boy smiled and started to lead her into a booth by the window. He placed the tray down and slid into one of the seats as Gabriella sat down opposite, setting her purse on the table. "I'm Troy, by the way." He held his hand out.

"Gabriella." She shook his hand but pulled away when she felt a spark. "Sorry, must've been static electricity."

Troy chuckled and reached for a spoon. "Right. So, you grew up here?"

Gabriella grabbed the other spoon and scooped some ice cream into her mouth. "Until I was four. Then I moved to America and that's where I've lived ever since. Well, I move around a lot but it's my home now."

"Where in America do you live?" Troy enquired, reaching up to brush his bangs away from his forehead.

"Well, next week when we go back, I'm going to be in Beaufort in North Carolina." She explained.

"Isn't that place practically invisible?" Troy raised an eyebrow.

Gabriella nodded, smiling slightly. "Yeah. But, that's okay. I like small towns. Hence why we're here on vacation." She waved her arms around slightly.

Troy sighed. "That's the complete opposite of me. I grew up in a small town and can't wait to leave."

"Well, I've lived in New York as well. I've learned to appreciate it more." She said softly, slipping the spoon into her mouth.

"Yeah?" Troy raised his eyebrows. "I can't believe you grew up here. My family comes to this town every year."

"Well, not here. But a town very similar. I grew up down south." She explained.

Troy nodded and he licked his lips, making Gabriella blush slightly. "So, where are you staying?"

Gabriella ducked her head and concentrated on clearing her face of the blush there. "This cottage complex a couple of streets away. We're staying in one of them."

"You mean Amado's place?" Troy asked with wide eyes, pointing his spoon at her.

She nodded excitedly. "Yeah. It is. You're staying there?"

Troy nodded. "Number fourteen."

"Fifteen." Gabriella said in disbelief.

"No kidding." Troy smiled across at her and let his eyes take in her features. She had long, black curls which was parted into two low bunches and framed her face. Her skin was slightly darker than the average American's – but not so dark that suggested she was black. Her chocolate eyes were glowing and her white tank top contrasted with her skin.

"Do I have something on my face?" Gabriella asked worriedly, lifting her fingers to brush over her cheeks.

Troy rushed to lean over the table and took her hand in his. "Don't." He whispered.

"What?" She asked in surprise.

"Don't." He got to his feet and shuffled around so he was sitting next to her in the booth, his upper body turned to face hers. "May I kiss you?"

"What?" She squeaked. "Why?"

"Please?" Troy breathed.

Gabriella swallowed. "We don't know each other."

"So?" Troy inched closer and held her chin between his forefinger and thumb as he softly pressed his lips against hers.

* * *

Troy kissed Gabriella's hair as they strolled around the cottage complex together the following Saturday. "I'll miss you."

She nodded, slightly dazed. "Me too." She rested her head on his shoulders as tears leaked from her eyes. "Will you miss my dad?" She giggled, trying to lighten the mood.

Troy shuddered. "Why didn't you warn me?"

"He was just trying to see if he could scare you." She stopped walking so he'd face her.

He brushed her tears away and smiled gently. "He succeeded." He murmured. "Do you think we know each other now?"

She nodded. "I didn't think we would but, we do. I need to thank you. For this week."

"Hey, it was as much you as it was me." He whispered, caressing her cheek.

She brought her hand up to take his off of her cheek. "I know. But, you're the first guy to truly see me and not get freaked out."

"Why would I get freaked out?" Troy asked in puzzlement.

"I read romance novels and watch noting but sci-fi. I live in America but speak nothing but Spanish at home. I dress like a girl but wrestle with my dad. People can't figure me out." She explained softly.

Troy kissed her forehead and wrapped his arms around her waist. "I don't care if I can't figure you out. I was always a fan of rubix cubes." He chuckled. "But, I don't know if we'll see each other again so, here it goes: I love you." He whispered.

"I never thought I'd hear that from any guy but my dad." She whispered with glossy eyes.

Troy leaned down and kissed her forehead. "Well, I love you." He whispered again.

"I love you too." She breathed against his neck as she closed her eyes. "Troy, will you do me a favour, please?" She kissed the skin under his chin briefly before pulling back to look him in the eyes.

Troy kissed her nose and nodded. "Anything you want."

Gabriella bit her lip; something which Troy had figured meant that she was nervous. "You're sixteen, right?"

He nodded. "If not, my parents have the wrong birth certificate."

She giggled and nodded. "And I'm fifteen. And you're not a virgin, are you?"

"How the hell did you know that?" Troy mumbled in amazement. "I don't talk in my sleep, do I?"

"Well, yeah. Usually about me. But, I'm good at reading people. Besides, whenever we kiss or when we're alone, you know how to touch me to make me happy. Only a guy with experience knows that." She whispered.

"Is that bad?"

"It depends on how many girls you've slept with." She said nervously, avoiding his eyes.

Troy sighed. "One and we broke up last year. Is this conversation going somewhere?"

"Yeah. Just go around the back and climb the tree to my balcony, okay?" She whispered into his ear – of course, she needed to be on her tip toes to reach that height.

Troy pulled back and brushed a few strands of hair behind her ear. "We don't have to."

"I want to. But, you have to promise me something." She whispered.

"Okay."

"Promise me that when we make love, you won't think of it as the last time we'll see each other." She whimpered with glittering eyes.

Troy kissed her forehead and nodded. "I promise." He slowly let go of her hand as he watched her walk up the path towards the door of the cottage numbered 'fifteen'.

* * *

Troy pushed the familiar balcony doors open and smiled in amusement when he saw Gabriella padding around her bedroom in some pink fluffy slippers, some old, baggy shorts which came down to her knees and were decorated with little pink hearts. Then, he chuckled silently as his eyes wandered to her upper body and saw a very familiar red and white striped polo neck shirt. He shut the door silently and slipped his sneakers off before slowly walking over to Gabriella and wrapping his arms around her waist. "Good evening, Montez."

Gabriella placed a hand over her heart and shot a fake glare to the young man holding her in the tightest grip she'd ever known – not that it was hurting or that she was complaining. "Bolton, don't start. My parents are downstairs." She whispered as he released her and started wrestling his tie off which he had worn to the dinner they shared as their last night together. Of course, Gabriella had had to order, ask where the bathrooms were and stop on the walk back to ask a passing Spanish couple where the local park was in relation to the quiet restaurant they had just eaten at.

He chuckled and pulled his tie over his head and dropped it onto the floor. "You sure about this?" He asked as he brought her more gently into his arms.

"I've never been surer of anything." She whispered.

"But, you're a virgin, aren't you?" He asked as he held her body tightly against her own.

She nodded. "Am I that obvious?"

He nodded slightly. "Yeah. You're so innocent and you just kind of let me kiss you and hug you and I take it that's because you don't really know what to do, right?"

She blushed and shifted uncomfortably. "I'm sorry. No guys pay attention to me so I've got no experience."

Troy lifted her head and kissed her chastely. "I like it." He shrugged slightly. "But, I don't want to hurt you."

"You won't." She whispered as she moved her hands to the front of his body and started to unbutton his dress shirt for him. "Just trust me when I say I want this." She whispered.

* * *

Troy smiled softly as Gabriella walked up the path to number fourteen after helping her parents pack the car. "So, I guess this is it."

She raised her eyebrows. "Don't tell me you've broken your promise."

"From last night?" He asked before a sigh came out of his mouth. "No. I just don't want you to walk out of that gate and leave me standing here."

She nodded. "So, what now?"

He opened his arms and raised his eyebrows. "Pretty self-explanatory, don't you think?" He said softly.

Gabriella stepped forward and smiled when his arms slowly snaked around her waist and she felt every inch of his body touching every inch of hers. She reached up and had a concentrated look on her face as she reached up and touched his ear softly in her dainty hand. She moved her hand around and ran her fingers through his sandy blonde hair. "Get a haircut." She murmured.

He laughed and nodded. "Will do." He leaned down and softly brushed his lips against hers as he mumbled into her mouth. "I'll always love you."

She giggled and slowly trailed her other hand up his chest. "I love you too." Their lips pressed against each other's and tightened their hold on each other. She pulled away slightly but Troy's lips gently brushed hers again. She moaned against his lips and regretfully pulled back. "I have to go."

Troy nodded and kissed her quickly again. "I know."

"Thank you for everything. This week, last night…everything."

"You were amazing." He whispered.

She blushed and kissed his cheek. "Call me, okay?"


	2. Best Friends

**A/N: Well, I liked this chapter. I hope you do, too. Please review :) Don't own HSM. I don't know why the last paragraph messed up but I've sorted it out and reuploaded it :)  


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Chapter 1 – Best friends

Chad Danforth swatted his mother's hand away as she tried to straighten his hair out. "Mom, let it go. We're just meeting our neighbours, not the president!"

Julie shot her son a glare which he knew too well and allowed her to fix the array of curls which crowned his head. "We might as well make a good impression."

Jay Danforth chuckled and nudged his younger brother's shoulders. "Now do you see why I cut my hair?"

"It's my signature." Chad defended, folding his arms and plastering the best pout he could muster onto his lips. "Dad?"

Steven Danforth shrugged and scratched his cheek nervously. "I already had to go through that five minutes before we left the house."

Julie sighed and finally realised that no matter how much she tried, her youngest son's hair would never be able to be tamed. "Will you three quit it?" She pushed the doorbell and the family waited patiently until the door opened to reveal a petite young girl open the door with a large box in her arms which was clearly weighing her down.

Gabriella groaned in annoyance at the box at forced a smile at the people in front of her. "Hello. May I help you?"

Julie hit Chad's head and he rushed forward to take the box off of Gabriella. "Yes, we're the Danforth's. We live next door. We thought we'd introduce ourselves. But, if you're busy or anything, we can come back later if you want."

Gabriella shook her head. "No, it's cool. I just hope you don't mind chaos. My parents are currently arguing where to put _my _books in _my _room." She shook her head slightly.

"Honey, I live in a house with three males. Chaos is my middle name." Julie joked as she smiled at the young girl.

"Well, if that's the case, come on in. Try not to trip over the boxes, we're in the process of unpacking." She explained through a giggle. She pulled the door open further and allowed them all inside before leading them to the lounge where countless boxes were stacked in – what seemed to be – a logical order. She smiled at them all and took the box off of Chad, placing it on the floor. "I'm Gabriella."

Chad shook her hand and nodded in acknowledgement. "I'm Chad. This is my brother, Jay, my mom, Julie, and my dad, Steven."

"Well, just wait here two seconds and I'll call my mom and dad down." Gabriella excused herself as she walked into the hallway and jogged up the stairs. She entered her room and was greeted by the Spanish accents of her parents. "Mama, Papa!" She exclaimed as she interrupted their squabbling. "Los vecinos están abajo. ¿Por qué no puedo ordenar mis libros?" **(A/N: The neighbours are downstairs. Why can't I sort my books out?)**

Encarnita sighed and placed the few books she was holding back into the nearest box. "No quiero que usted cepa. Con el traslado y-" **(A/N: We didn't want you to strain yourself. With the move and-)**

Gabriella folded her arms and snapped her head to the side so she was looking away from her parents. "Ni siquiera decir que." She snapped, forcing the tears back down. **(A/N: Don't even say it.)**

Mariano walked over and embraced his only child tightly. She was so strong, so brave and so confident that she looked fearless. And Mariano knew that she did to other people. But, her parents knew her better than to believe the attitude she put on for the rest of the world. "Mi hija, usted no tiene que ser valiente que nos rodea." He whispered as he kissed her hair. **(A/N: My daughter, you don't have to be brave around us.)**

Gabriella pulled back and ran a hand through her dark hair which had been cut and now hung just below her shoulders in a soft mass of ringlets. "Let me introduce you to the Danforth's. I really don't want to talk about this." She turned around and started to walk slowly out of her room.

Encarnita placed a hand on her husband's arm and smiled encouragingly. "She's not being fearless for herself. She's being fearless for us." She whispered.

Mariano nodded and interlocked his fingers with his wife's. He knew that Encarnita meant what she said for they were alone and yet she was speaking English. The first time that had happened, Gabriella had come into the picture. The last time that happened… He suddenly shook his head, getting rid of the thoughts that haunted all of the Montez's dreams. "I know, Nita." He allowed her to kiss his cheek and then gently pull him down the stairs and into the lounge where he saw Gabriella laughing and joking with four African-Americans – two of which had crazy and wild afros.

Gabriella turned to the doorway and smiled brightly at her parents. "Oh, Mami, Papa, these are the Danforth's: that's Steven, Julie, Jay and this is Chad. He's eighteen and he goes to East High, too."

Mariano stepped forward and shook Steven's hand. "Pleasure to meet you. I'm Mariano and this is my wife, Encarnita and you've met my daughter."

Steven returned the handshake and then turned to Encarnita to kiss her cheek. "Same here. Your daughter is one of the funniest people I have ever met."

"What about me?" Chad exclaimed.

Jay slung his arm around Chad's shoulders in a false sense of sympathy. "Oh, Bro, I hate to break it to you but the funniest thing about you is your singing."

Gabriella giggled and jumped when her cell phone started ringing in her pocket. She took it out and smiled softly at the name flashing on the screen. She turned to everyone and shot a pleading look to her father. "Please?"

Mariano sighed and finally relented. "Make it quick, though."

"The quickest conversation we will ever have." She promised before kissing her father's cheek.

"The quickest conversation you've ever had with the person I assume is on that phone was half an hour last night." He said dryly.

"Yes and he was comforting me because of our move. But, I'll make it fifteen minutes, tops." She smiled innocently and was about to leave when she felt herself being pulled back by a firm grasp on her hand. "Mami, qué tiene de malo?" **(A/N: Mami, what's wrong?)**

"Usted necesita decirle." Encarnita whispered in her daughter's ear. **(A/N: You need to tell him)**

Gabriella shook her head slightly. "No lo creo. No puedo hacer eso con él." She whispered before turning around and walking out of the room. **(A/N: I can't do that to him.)**

She pressed the answer button and held the phone to her ear, smiling at the dulcet tone of Troy Bolton. "Hey, you."

She giggled as she climbed the stairs. "Hey, yourself. How are you?"

"Fine. What about you?" He asked softly.

"Fine. But, this needs to be quick. We're meeting the neighbours and Papa only gave me fifteen minutes." She said regretfully as she gracefully fell onto her bed.

Troy chuckled. "That is totally cool. I just wanted to hear your voice before my parents are taking me out to some family reunion."

Gabriella giggled. "Troy, you know I love you, right?"

"Where did that come from?" He asked worriedly. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm totally okay. I just need you to know. That's all." She whispered. "And this summer, my parents said that we're going back to Spain to Amado's place."

"Really? Finally! It's been too long since we saw each other." Troy exclaimed.

Gabriella sighed. "I'm sorry. But, a lot has been going on and we haven't had the time – or the money – to have a real vacation since Spain two years ago." She spoke quietly as tears rimmed her eyes.

"Well, you promise that you'll be in Spain the summer coming, right?" Troy asked carefully.

Gabriella smiled gently as his eagerness to see her again. "Yeah. I promise. I have to go. I love you."

"I love you too." Troy whispered. "You know you can tell me whatever's bugging you, right?"

She giggled at his easiness to read her by just hearing her voice. "I know. And I will. Just not right now. A lot of things are happening and I don't think I can take you knowing for a while."

"Okay." Troy whispered, knowing there wasn't really anything he could do. "Bye, Brie."

"Bye." She whispered as she hung up the phone and threw it carelessly across her room. She groped around her bed for a pillow and pulled it tightly over her face, muffling her sobs. She wanted nothing more than to see Troy again. The first and only guy that had made love to her. The one thing that took up the whole of her mind. She wanted to see him so badly. To hold her, and comfort her and for her to see him before-

The knock at her bedroom door made her groan and remove the pillow to wipe her cheeks. "Come in."

The door opened and Chad stepped in quietly. "You okay?"

Gabriella sat up and smiled at his concern. "Yeah. I'm fine."

"Boyfriend?" Chad whispered, sitting on the edge of her bed with a worried expression on his face.

"Something like that." She muttered. "I don't even know, okay? I think we just kind of assumed we were boyfriend and girlfriend after we, um, well…yeah." She finished with a deep blush and avoiding Chad's eyes.

"Ah." He realised. "Well, is everything okay? You seem kind of upset. Did you fight or something?" He asked, searching her face for any kind of answer.

She shook her head. "No. I'd actually prefer it if we were fighting. It's probably much easier to understand reasons behind fights."

"What are you talking about?" Chad asked, reaching for her hand.

"You know what? It doesn't even matter." She whispered as she raised her head.

Chad opened his arms. "You want a hug? They're free-eeeeeeeeeeee." He sang the last word out and had a large, cheesy grin on his face.

Gabriella giggled and shuffled forward so she allowed Chad to hug her tightly. "Are you going to agree to be a best friend to me?" She mumbled into his shoulder.

Chad pulled back and reached out to her bedside table and pulled a Kleenex tissue out of the box and wiped her cheek. "If you want a best friend like me. Although," He paused slightly to start counting on his fingers, "eight other people are part of the package."

Gabriella nodded and took the tissue out of his hand to blow her nose. "If I have one best friend that's you, it's cool. Just promise you'll look after me. I'm not good with meeting new people or starting a new school."

"I'll introduce you to eight great people and show you around East High, Albuquerque and be your best friend if you want me, too. Besides, you might be able to help me. My girlfriend doesn't think I'm romantic and a bit of female advice might help." He grinned innocently.

"Chad Michael Danforth, you better not be annoying Gabriella." Came Julie's threatening voice.

Gabriella muffled her giggle with the back of her hand as Chad rolled his eyes. "No, Mom. I'm not annoying her."

"Well, come down here and offer to help carry boxes to her room." She ordered.

"Will do, Mom." Chad grumbled as he turned to Gabriella. "Do you want help carrying boxes?"

"I am flattered." Gabriella joked as she slid off of her bed and walked over to pick up her cell phone. She quickly inspected it – surprised and happy that it was free from damage – and pocketed it in the jeans she was wearing.

Chad jumped to his feet and chuckled. "You really do have an awesome sense of humour."

Gabriella shrugged slightly. "I've learnt that it helps a person get through life." She whispered.

"Are you okay?" Chad asked softly, stepping forward hurriedly.

Gabriella nodded and quickly stole a glance at the digital clock on her bedside table. "Hey, um, go on downstairs and pick up any box with my name on it. I've just got to go to the bathroom. By the way, do you speak Spanish?"

"The furthest my Spanish goes is hola and baloncesto." He joked.

"Basketball?" She giggled. "Well, go on down. I'll be five minutes."

* * *

"Gabby, you'll be fine." Encarnita encouraged, kissing her forehead.

"But, my stomach." She whined, placing her hand over her abdomen.

"That doesn't work anymore." Mariano said sternly, holding his daughter's hand. "You'll be fine." He coughed nervously and locked eyes with Gabriella. "Nos informó a la escuela de…" **(A/N: We informed the school of…)**

"Don't even go there." She whispered as she kissed his cheek. "Hasta la vista." She said softly as Chad started leading her away from the front office, leaving Encarnita, Mariano and Principal Matsui in the corridor. **(A/N: Good bye)**

"So, let's see your schedule." Chad exclaimed as Gabriella dug through the folder she had been given before she found her schedule and handed it to Chad. "Well, the good news is that you have Drama and English with me. But, that's it. But, you have everything else with my girlfriend. I take it you're an elevated IQ temptress girl, too, huh?"

"What?" Gabriella asked as Chad showed her a locker and opened it for her.

"It's what I called my girlfriend." He mumbled quietly, handing the schedule back to Gabriella.

"And she said yes?" Gabriella asked slowly.

"For some very unknown reason…yeah." He chuckled.

"DANFORTH!" A voice screeched down the corridor.

Chad and Gabriella both turned at the sound of the angry voice and saw a fuming African-American girl marching up to them. "Tay, Honey, uh, what's wrong?"

"What's wrong?" She asked in a shaky voice, an angry smile forced onto her lips. "How can you ask that? Where were you all weekend?" She demanded.

Chad motioned to Gabriella and waved slightly. "Tay, this is Gabby. Gabby, this is Tay…my girlfriend who I love very much." He smiled innocently at the outraged female in front of him.

Taylor turned to Gabriella and smiled softly, shaking her hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you." She turned back to Chad and her expression changed from sweet to angry in less than a millisecond. "Where were you?"

"I was helping Gabby settle into her new house. Why?" Chad whispered which made Gabriella giggled silently.

Taylor through her hands up into the air and pointed down the corridor. "Leave."

"What did I do?" He exclaimed helplessly. "Gabby, do you know?"

Gabriella studied Taylor's creased forehead, narrowed eyes and mouth which was twitching to turn into a snarl and she turned back to Chad. "I'm guessing you missed your anniversary."

"Thank you!" Taylor breathed sincerely. "See? Everyone knew about it but you! Go!" She pointed once again down the corridor and Chad planted a kiss on her cheek before fleeing in fear of his health.

Gabriella finally burst out laughing with Taylor as she skimmed her schedule to find the appropriate notebooks before digging out her English, Geometry and AP Biology books out. "I take it you wear the pants in this relationship?"

Taylor rolled her eyes and sighed. "Well, someone needs to control him. The only things he thinks about are food and basketball."

"What about you?" Gabriella asked, closing her locker and hugging her books and the welcoming folder to her chest.

"Pfft!" She scoffed. "I'm lucky if I get into his thoughts once a month."

"So you're with him because…" Gabriella trailed off as she started walking down the halls with Taylor.

"He's useless without me. Before I came along, he was the basketball jock and on the odd chances he does think of me, he's really sweet and I love him. And I know, at the end of the day, that he loves me too. And now he's known as so much more than the basketball jock. He's got good grades now, he's popular for more than flinging balls in baggy shorts. And I'm proud to be the reason of that change. You know?" Taylor exclaimed softly, a gentle smile pulling at her lips. "Why did I tell you all of that?"

"I already knew." Gabriella shrugged. "He told me yesterday."

* * *

Jason Cross shared a high five with one of his best friends, Zeke Baylor, as they reminisced about the basketball game they had played the previous Friday. "Those West High Knights are going down in the championships."

Zeke grinned and nodded. "Hell yeah!"

"Hold your horses, guys. The championships aren't until after Christmas. It's just the start of the season." A smooth voice greeted the two friends.

"Yeah, but it's our senior year!" Jason exclaimed. "We have to win and go down in Wildcat history!"

Troy smiled and nodded. "And, believe me, I intend on making that happen."

They shared a three-part high-five and laughed loudly, ignoring the stares coming their way from students gathered in the hallway. "We are expecting striking things, _Captain_!" Zeke teased, using the title which Troy had rightfully owned since he was a sophomore.

Troy sighed and threw his head back slightly. "My last year being Captain of the Wildcats."

Jason and Zeke shared a look before Zeke turned to his open locker and took out a plastic bag of cookies before handing them to his best friend. "They were for Pay but she won't mind. She hates seeing you depressed."

Troy chuckled and gladly accepted the bag. "Yeah. I know."

"Guys, I need help!" A voice yelled as a frantic Chad skidded to a halt next to Troy.

"What happened? You get baloney in your hair again?" Jason joked.

"One time and I swear Jay put it in there while I was sleeping." Chad growled through gritted teeth. "Anyway, I forgot our anniversary. What do I do?"

Troy, Jason and Zeke stared at him blankly before howling with laughter. "Dude, there is no way you can make this up to her. You know she values your relationship like her life!" Troy exclaimed, slapping his shoulder.

Chad groaned. "You are the worst best friend ever."

Troy grinned and winked. "My parents will be glad to know I finally have a purpose in life: annoying you."

Chad glared and looked at Zeke hopefully. "What have you got in that miraculous locker of yours?"

"I've got crème brûlée or chocolate muffins with white chocolate drops. Or both which I am assuming you want." Zeke offered, handing him a Tupperware container and a plastic bag.

Chad took them gratefully and smiled in relief. "You are my saviour. Well, kind of. There is no way this will get me off the hook. But, it might soften her up."

Troy saw Taylor approaching was about to open his mouth to tell Chad when everything…froze. His breathing stopped, his mind drew a blank at how to come about making his voice box work and his eyelids had lost the ability to blink. The girl she was talking to. It wasn't Sharpay, Kelsi or Martha like he expected. But…_her_. The girl he had dreamt about every night since he had gone to Spain on vacation two years ago. She was here. In Albuquerque, New Mexico. "Oh, God." He muttered.

"I think he stopped breathing." Jason said worriedly.

Zeke slapped his best friend on the back until Troy coughed. "Are you okay?"

Troy finally nodded with wide eyes. "Who was that girl Tay was with?"

Chad peered over Troy's shoulder and smiled at the dark curls bobbing wildly as she talked with Taylor. "Gabriella-"

"-Montez." Troy finished with a dreamy expression on his face.

"Yeah. She just moved here from Winona in Texas." Chad explained. "You know her?"

Troy turned his head to face the direction which Gabriella had walked with Taylor – even though he couldn't see her anymore – and sighed. "I more than know her." He paused slightly as he turned to his friends. "I'm in love with her."


	3. Secrets

**A/N: I hope you liked this chapter...'cause I didn't and it wasn't as long as I wanted it to be. So enjoy and tell me what you think.

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Chapter 2 – Secrets

Taylor waved a blonde girl over and turned to Gabriella. "Gabby, this is Sharpay Evans. Sharpay, this is Gabriella Montez."

Sharpay held a curl of Gabriella's hair between her finger and thumb and smiled softly. "I love your hair. It's beautiful." She gushed.

Gabriella blushed and ran a hand through the ringlets which were framing her perfect face. "Thank you. Yours is great, too." She admired the blonde's elegantly straightened hair separated into two neat bunches.

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you." Sharpay shook her hand. "Did he remember, Tay?"

Taylor shook her head. "No. But, I have a feeling I'll need your help tonight. He'll be taking me somewhere fancy."

"How long have you and Chad been together?" Gabriella asked as she shut her locker, clutching a brown paper bag, a water bottle and a notebook in her hands.

Sharpay rolled her eyes. "Please. When haven't they been together? It's like they've always been dating but it took them fifteen years for him to ask her out."

Taylor hit her friend's arm and glared. "When will you let that drop?"

"When you and Danforth get married and have three kids together – a boy and two girls." She replied, grinning a little bit too proudly for the statement which she had just spoken.

Gabriella giggled and the three girls started walking towards the cafeteria. "I like that plan. He could use a bit of feminine air in his life."

"My thoughts exactly." Sharpay exclaimed. "You will get on perfectly with Martha and Kelsi as well."

"Martha and Kelsi?" Gabriella asked as they entered the cafeteria but she stopped walking which forced Taylor and Sharpay to stop in their tracks and face her.

* * *

"There she is!" Troy exclaimed nervously, reaching up to smooth his hair down. "Do I look okay?"

Kelsi nodded from her seat next to him. "Troy, you look fine."

"Fine isn't going to cut it." He muttered. "I need to show her that I'm still me."

"You haven't changed a bit." Kelsi said softly.

"Kels, you're the only one who I've told about what happened in Spain. How I met this angel. This perfect girl who I thought I'd never see again but promised me she's going to Spain this summer." He muttered. "Kels, what do I say to her?"

"Anything you want. So, there she is." Kelsi pointed to the doorway where Gabriella was talking with Sharpay and Taylor.

Troy let his head fall onto the table and groaned to himself. "And there she goes." He muttered helplessly.

Kelsi watched on as the one girl her step-brother loved walked out of the cafeteria with Taylor following. Sharpay walked over to the lunch queue and a moment afterwards, Zeke walked up behind her and kissed her cheek lovingly. Kelsi turned to Troy and rubbed his back soothingly. "I'm sorry, Troy."

Troy lifted his head and reached for one of the cookies Zeke had given him. "I wasn't nervous when I met her in Spain."

"Troy, you spent literally the entire week together. You wouldn't be nervous. But, you haven't seen her in so long. Maybe you should let her settle in first before you try anything." Kelsi advised softly. "When I moved to Albuquerque because my mom married your dad, I needed time to adjust. It's a big thing when you move."

Troy sighed and nodded. "She's moved every summer since she was thirteen."

"That doesn't make it any easier." She whispered. "Troy, just give her a chance to make some friends before you appear in her life again."

Troy nodded and rolled his eyes slightly. "I guess."

"Try tomorrow because it looks like she's friends with Shar and Tay and Tay mentioned how she's neighbours with Chad. And, no, do not go over to her house." She said sternly, pushing her glasses up her nose.

"The worst part is that Dad is on my case about failing English!" He exclaimed.

"Don't you need to get at least a C in each subject to stay on the team?" Kelsi raised an eyebrow.

He nodded. "As it is, so far I have a D+ but if I don't get it up, I'll be suspended from the team. Not to mention being grounded."

"This is the plus side of being a straight B student. You have room to fall and when you get an A, Mom and Dad spoil you." She joked.

Troy rolled his eyes. "Well aren't you just the perfect daughter?"

She poked her tongue out and hugged him tightly. "Troy, I just don't want you to get hurt. I know she's keeping something from you, but, I don't want you to pressure her into telling you and then you both get hurt."

Troy nodded. "I know."

Kelsi felt someone place a hand on her shoulder and she smiled when Jason sat next to her and kissed her cheek. "Hey, Jase."

Jason smiled and opened his Superman lunch box. "Hi, Kels."

Troy cleared his throat and raised his eyebrows.

"And Troy." Jason chuckled.

"Thank you. Just because I allowed you to date my little sister, doesn't mean you can forget your best friend." Troy said seriously.

"Troy, I can never forget you." Jason said in a serious voice before both boys burst out laughing.

Kelsi rolled her eyes and placed all of her rubbish onto her empty lunch tray. "Guys, I have to go. I have a few touches to finalise for the winter musical. Double kisses." She smiled when she felt Jason kiss one cheek and Troy kiss her other one. "I'll see you guys later. Jase, are you still coming around tonight?"

Jason nodded. "I'll drive you there." He pointed sternly at Troy. "But, only Kelsi. Dude, you have your own car."

Kelsi giggled and stood up, picking up her lunch tray. "Goodbye, Boys."

* * *

Gabriella waited until the music room door clicked shut, signalling Taylor's exit, before turning to her lunch bag, opening it and rummaging through it until she found what she was looking for. She held the two tablets in her fist tightly as she unscrewed her water bottle and slipped the two tablets into her mouth before downing a few gulps of water and screwing the cap back on tightly. She set the water bottle and brown bag on top of the piano and opened the notebook, setting it on the ledge.

_When will it be clear  
That I made the right choice?  
When will it be clear  
That I know my own voice?_

_I dream of the day when I'm free from doubt,  
When faith wins out…_

Her fingers paused on the piano keys, allowing the final notes to ring in the air. She'd grown up in a faithful Methodist family who went to church every Sunday without fail – excluding the one Sunday they had had to miss as Encarnita had been in labour with Gabriella. But, how far could faith really get you? She had believed in God her entire life and never once doubted his choices. But, at the end of the day, why did he choose her now, while she was just seventeen?

She lifted her hands and wiped her eyes furiously. She simply wanted to be like every other teenager that attended East High. While most teenagers worried about pimples, clothes and money, she worried about- "No entiendo." She whimpered, leaning her elbows on the keys so she could bury her head into her hands. **(A/N: I don't understand)**

"Oh, I'm sorry." A hesitant voice apologised.

Gabriella lifted her head and turned to the doorway to see a small girl with glasses and auburn hair standing there, clutching some papers. "Oh, no worries. Do you want to use this?" She asked, gesturing with one hand to the piano and wiping her eyes with her other.

"Well, yeah but you can stay. I actually need some opinions on these compositions. Hey, are you okay?" Kelsi asked softly as she walked over and set her papers on top of the piano.

Gabriella nodded and giggled slightly. "I'm just thinking, is all."

"Anything I can do to help?" Kelsi asked softly, sitting on the piano stool next to Gabriella.

Gabriella sighed and closed her notebook which caused her heart to clench slightly. "Yeah. Just tell me if I seem stupid to have faith in God."

Kelsi shook her head. "I think it's pretty smart…to have faith in someone that you don't know. I have faith in my brother. And maybe one day he'll get a B."

Gabriella giggled and held her hand out. "Gabriella."

Kelsi timorously shook her hand and smiled. "Kelsi."

"So, you're a composer?" Gabriella enquired, reaching for her brown paper bag and pulling out a chicken sandwich.

Kelsi nodded. "I'm writing the winter musical. And I could really use some opinions. My boyfriend and step-brother are too obsessed with basketball to listen to music."

"More basketball-obsessed guys?" Gabriella asked in disbelief. "I know one from two years ago and I met Chad on Saturday."

Kelsi stared at Gabriella curiously for a minute. "Is you last name Montez, by any chance?"

Gabriella nodded. "Do I know you?"

Kelsi shook her head quickly. "No, no, no. Chad was talking to me about you in homeroom while you talked with Tay."

Gabriella nodded and bit her sandwich slowly. "Do you ever feel like life's too short?"

Kelsi thought about it and shrugged. "I can't say I have. Isn't it a bit cliché, though?"

Gabriella let out a fake giggle and nodded. "I guess so. So, let's hear some of these songs."

* * *

Troy pulled his red jersey over his head and rolled his eyes. "Dude, you forget every anniversary, birthday and even Christmas. And every time that happens, you ask her out to some fancy restaurant."

Chad sighed, throwing his shirt into his locker and rummaging around until her finally found his own jersey. "Yeah, but I'm running out of restaurants and gifts. Albuquerque is only so big."

Zeke laughed and nodded. "You need to come up with some new ideas."

Chad sighed as his head poked through the neck hole of his jersey and then his arms stretched through the holes to the sides. "I know. Maybe Gabby will help. She managed to figure out I forgot our anniversary."

"And she reads nothing but romance novels." Troy added, shutting his locker.

Jason frowned. "How do you know?"

Troy rested his forehead against his locker and sighed. "She told me. It was a Tuesday and we were playing golf. Well, I was teaching her in any case." He turned to his friends and shrugged.

"Is she the reason you haven't been on a date in two years?" Jason asked quietly.

Troy nodded, running a hand through his hair. "Yes. I promised her I'd never stop loving her. I didn't know how easy it would be to keep that promise."

"Dude, you're hooked!" Zeke exclaimed.

Troy sighed and nodded. "But, back to the matter at hand. You have gone all out for her, but you haven't done something simple. If Gabriella still cooks as amazingly as she did two years ago, ask for her help. Do a picnic for her."

"Why don't I cook it?" Zeke exclaimed in disbelief.

Troy sighed. "Dude, you cook too exquisitely for a picnic. Think about. Brie makes a mean chicken sandwich."

Chad nodded. "And she is my best friend now." He said thoughtfully. "Ow!" He exclaimed, jumping as Jason, Zeke and Troy all hit him. "A girl best friend! Sheesh!"

Troy rolled his eyes. "Anyway, tomorrow, I'm going to talk to her."

"You mean the girl that's been in most of your classes all day?" Zeke asked sarcastically.

"Well, people kept dragging her away. And Kels said that I should let her settle in first." Troy explained as the four of them headed to the gym.

"You do know that she will most likely find out, right?" Zeke asked carefully.

"I want her to find out!" Troy exclaimed.

"Yes, but she's friends with Shar and Tay. If Chad tells Tay, she'll tell Shar and then she'll blurt to Gabriella." Zeke explained slowly as he and Troy joined the rest of the team which was jogging around the gym, slowly reaching the front of the bundle of young men.

Troy nodded. "I know that. But, Chad will be so wound up with Tay tonight, he won't think about me once."

Zeke chuckled breathlessly and smiled in agreement. "You're right. So, how did you and Gabriella meet?"

Troy shook his head slightly. "That's something between me, her and Spain." He whispered.

* * *

As Gabriella followed Taylor towards the auditorium, she felt herself sigh gently. "Tay?"

Taylor turned to her and smiled warmly. "Yeah?"

"You really love Chad, huh?" She mumbled as they walked through the large doors and was greeted with the harmonious voice of Sharpay.

Taylor nodded. "Yeah. I do. Why?"

"Do you tell him everything?" Gabriella questioned uncertainly.

Taylor put a thoughtful look on her face as they climbed onto the stage and sat down cross-legged. "I guess so. Why?"

"I mean everything." Gabriella pushed.

Taylor nodded. "I know. And I do. Why?"

Sharpay stopped singing and gracefully sat next to Taylor to form a triangle. "Is this to do with that Spanish boy you were telling us about during Geometry?"

"He's not Spanish." Gabriella defended. "He's American but I met him in Spain. It's kind of to do with him."

"What do you have to tell him- OW!" She whined, rubbing her arm where Taylor had smacked her.

"If she doesn't want him to know, what are the chances that she wants us to know if she won't tell this Spanish boy?" Taylor exclaimed.

"For the last time, he's American!" Gabriella said softly. "I need to tell him something but I can't. Every time I come close to it, I chicken out."

"Well, is it serious?" Taylor asked worriedly.

Gabriella debated telling the truth – hey, she knew she could trust them – but then went against it and shook her head. "No. It's something silly."

Sharpay eyed her suspiciously as she reached half a foot away from her sitting position to where she had placed the manuscript she was learning. It was so clear that Gabriella was hiding something but…what? It was quite confusing because Gabriella didn't seem like the lying type – and it was convincing – but why would she bring the conversation up if it wasn't important?

"Hey, guys, sorry we're late." Kelsi muttered as she and Martha joined the two girls plopped down on the stage.

"It's fine." Taylor assured her. "Anyway, what piece of magic do you have today, Kelsi?"

Gabriella's mind tuned out as she thought of Troy. He meant everything to her. The one constant thing in her life was that he was always there. Didn't that count for something? She hated herself for constantly thinking about it but how could she not? He'd become such a big part of her life and if she hurt him… That thought was worse than other thought's which dragged her down everyday.

"Uh, guys?" She suddenly asked, surprising the four girls. "I'm going to go. Someplace… Anywhere. I've got to think about some stuff." She grabbed her bag and scurried out of the auditorium.

"What's she hiding?" Sharpay whispered.

Taylor bit her lip and tapped her chin. "Chad knows."

"How do you know he knows?" Kelsi asked.

Taylor shook her head. "Chad listens. He would listen to his worst enemy. And tonight is the perfect time to find out."


	4. No changes

**A/N: I liked this one a lot more. I think you'll like it too :) Don't own HSM :(

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Chapter 3 – No changes

Jason and Kelsi approached Gabriella's locker and shared a smile before greeting her. "Hey, Gabby." Kelsi said softly.

Gabriella looked towards Kelsi and smiled. "Hey. One second." She turned back to her locker and brought out her English books before turning back to her friend. "What's up?"

"This is my boyfriend, Jason. Jason, this is Gabriella I was telling you about." She introduced.

Gabriella shook Jason's hand. "Wow. Chad was right when he said that other people were part of the package."

He chuckled and nodded. "Restaurants actually charge extra when we reserve a table for all of us."

Gabriella giggled as she shut her locker. "Well, Chad was positive I'd like you all. But, Sharpay said that I still have to meet her brother, Ryan, and her boyfriend, Zeke." She frowned slightly before she continued. "But, that doesn't make any sense because that's only eight people in total and Chad said there was nine in your little gang."

"Oh, you're talking about Tr- Yow, Woman!" He yelped when Kelsi dug her heel into his foot. "I mean, let's just get to class." He muttered before turning around and rushing away.

Kelsi sighed. "Jase, your class is the other way." She called.

"My class is the other way." He muttered, spinning around and passing Gabriella and Kelsi again, kissing Kelsi's cheek on the way. "I love you, Kels." He yelled over his shoulder.

"What's your boyfriend's IQ?" Gabriella asked jokingly.

"That of a peanut." Kelsi exclaimed as she and Gabriella went in the direction Jason had gone. "Anyway, you seemed to really like English yesterday."

Gabriella nodded happily. "It's my favourite subject. Along with Spanish but that's because my father's half Spanish and my Mom grew up in Spain – but she's not Spanish – and so I grew up speaking Spanish ever since I was born."

Kelsi and Gabriella entered the classroom and took their respective seats: Gabriella at the front next to Chad and Kelsi two rows behind next to Jason. "Are you good at poetry?"

Gabriella set her books on the desk and shrugged slightly. "Fairly good. Is that what we're studying?"

"That and 'Of mice and men'." Kelsi explained, sitting down in her seat.

Gabriella shrugged. "I've already read that so this should be a breeze." She giggled as she sat down and started flicking through her notebook from her previous school.

"Hey, Gabby, how are you? I haven't seen you all morning." Chad chuckled.

"I'm a bit tired. I didn't get much sleep last night. How was your date with Tay?" Gabriella asked.

Chad blushed slightly and looked away. "She liked it. Thanks for your help and everything."

Gabriella shrugged. "I'm always happy to help a friend." She sighed and looked down as she fiddled with her pencil. _That's the whole reason I met him…_

The bell rang and Mr Matthews came in with his briefcase clutched in one hand and a pile of books tucked under his other arm. "Good morning, class." He addressed, making students sink into their seats with disappointment that their socialising was disrupted.

* * *

Taylor glanced up at her Mr Matthews as he explained how their final grade was based upon a speaking and listening assessment of a piece of poetry chosen from their anthology, and an essay about 'Of mice and men' – fifty per cent each. She ripped a piece of paper from the ring binder she was using and scribbled a note to Sharpay.

**Troy is it.**

She passed it discreetly to her friend who shot her a confused look as Taylor was always one who frowned upon note-passing. She opened the note and frowned. "What?" She mouthed.

Taylor rolled her eyes and scribbled another note, glancing up every few moments to check Mr Matthews hadn't turned around. She had never been one to not pay attention, but when it concerned her new friend, and the boy she'd known longer than Chad, she had had to rethink her morals. She knew that Sharpay would never let her live it down for 'breaking the tradition of the nerdettes'.

**Troy is the Spanish boy.**

She slid the note back to Sharpay and watched as Sharpay's brown eyes enlarged to the size of basketballs. Sharpay looked back to her friend, her mouth agape. "Does Gabby know?" She mouthed.

Taylor shook her head slightly before ducking her head and poising her pen above her paper. Hopefully, Troy would make his move soon…

* * *

"…read chapter one and note down points of detail and imagery." Mr Matthews instructed as he finished handing out the copies of 'Of mice and men' by John Steinbeck.

Gabriella smiled politely as he placed one on her desk. She timidly raised her hand and glanced around nervously. "Uh, Sir, what if you've already read this novel and made notes?"

"Well, Miss Montez, I actually need to speak with you." Mr Matthews dismissed her question. "And as you skipped a grade, I am positive your notes are fine."

"Okay…" She said slowly, lowering her hand. "But, what do you want to talk to me about?"

He made his way to the door and beckoned her with his hand. "You too, Mr Bolton."

Gabriella sighed sadly. "Another Bolton?" She whispered as she followed Mr Matthews out into the hallway. She turned at the sound of footsteps following and then the door clicking closed and she screamed in surprise.

"Gabriella, are you okay?" Mr Matthews asked worriedly.

Gabriella stared at Troy, pointing wildly in vague directions. "You…Here…Me…Move…You live here!" She leapt into his arms and nuzzled her nose into his neck. She suddenly pulled back and smacked his chest.

"Ow! Brie, what was that for?" Troy yelped, rubbing his chest furiously.

"Did you know I was here?" She demanded.

"Maybe…" He muttered. "Kels said that I should let you settle in. And I was so amazed that you're here. I mean, you're so beautiful now." His eyes widened as he realised what he had said and blushed lightly. "I mean, you were always beautiful and you are always going to beautiful to me but- hmmmm…" He sighed softly when he felt two lips brush against his.

Gabriella pulled back and giggled. "I know what you mean Troy. But you called me last night!" She whined.

Mr Matthews coughed and raised his eyebrows when the two young adults turned to him. "I take it you two know each other?"

"You could say that." Troy muttered, easily slipping his hand into Gabriella's.

She smiled coyly across at him and rolled her eyes, turning back to her teacher. "So, what's up?"

"Troy's failing." Mr Matthews said bluntly.

"Not the way I wanted to greet her after two years of not seeing her!" Troy exclaimed.

"You're failing?" Gabriella asked in a shocked voice.

Troy shrugged. "I'm at a D+ but I need to get at least a C to stay on the basketball team."

"So, what has this got to do with me?" Gabriella asked, turning back to Mr Matthews.

"I'm asking you to tutor him." He said softly. "I know that you've just moved here and everything but…"

Gabriella sighed and turned to Troy. "Well, it's a big ask…" She started sarcastically.

Troy glared at her as he leaned over to her ear. "It's a good thing I love you, isn't it, Montez?" He whispered.

"Well, Bolton, it's a good thing I've studied the novel your essay is on and I'm a poet myself. So, I agree to tutor you. But, you had better pay attention to English and not me." She said sternly.

"I second that." Mr Matthews raised his hand.

Troy rolled his eyes. "Fine. But, when you're not tutoring me, I get to study you as much as I want, okay?" He grabbed her hand and twirled her around as if they were dancing before pulling her to his body.

"When I'm not tutoring you, you can do what you want." She muttered. "We can start tomorrow."

"Why not tonight?" Troy asked, his smile dropping.

Gabriella kissed his cheek, trying not to show her nervousness or sadness of the night ahead. "I'm kind of tied up tonight."

"Well, maybe I can see you later on?" He asked.

She shook her head. "I said no, Troy." She pushed past him and went back into the classroom.

"What?" Troy whispered.

* * *

Gabriella giggled as she stumbled after Troy. "Troy, where are you taking me?"

Troy laughed and rolled his eyes. "Impatient?"

"No. Worried that you'll dislocate my shoulder." She giggled.

He continued to drag her through the cafeteria and up the stairs before leading her to a yellow door and up some more stairs. "I'm not going to hurt you."

_No, but I might hurt you…_ She shook her head, getting rid of the thoughts in her head and concentrated on getting excited about having Troy with her…now…here… This was all so wrong! He was never supposed to come back into her life until the following summer where they'd spend the summer vacation in Spain, she'd go to California to attend Stanford and she'd never-

"Brie, you okay?" A voice asked as a very familiar hand caressed her cheek.

She snapped out of her thoughts and nodded, realising they had reached the top of the stairs. "Wow. This place is amazing." She broke from his arms and marvelled in the petite flowers decorating the rooftop garden.

"Brie, wait up." Troy jogged over to her and frowned as he held his hand to her forehead and frowned. "Baby, you're hot."

"I thought you said I was beautiful?" She asked cheekily.

"No! You're burning up and you're clammy. And you're pale. Baby, I'm taking you to the nurse." He said sternly.

"Troy I'm fine, really. I'm probably just stressed about moving. It's nothing." She said softly, stroking his cheek.

"Just let her check you out." He pleaded.

She shook her head. "It's okay."

Troy sighed. "I don't like seeing you when you're not perfect."

"So, when am I perfect?" She asked flirtatiously, trailing her hands up his chest.

Troy smirked down on her and wrapped his arms tightly around her waist. "White shorts with pink hearts, pink, fluffy slippers and a shirt that doesn't belong to you."

"You need to wear that at some point." She said sternly, twisting a lock of hair around her finger.

"Why?" He murmured as he started a trail of kisses from her right cheek, across her jaw and finally started kissing her neck.

She sighed softly and closed her eyes in contentment. "It doesn't smell like you anymore." She whispered.

Troy straightened up and smiled down on the girl he thought he'd never see again until the summer after he graduated. Her hair – shorter he had noticed – was pulled back into a ponytail, leaving a few curls around her face, though the curls were still noticeable, even though they were away from her face. She had actually grown – not as tall as Troy and he guessed he'd probably have to duck further than he'd had to two years ago – but it was something. Her face hadn't changed a bit: her almond shaped eyes still narrowed when she smiled, her high cheek bones were tinted pink from all the attention she was getting from him and her smile…God, her smile still reminded him of a toddler on Christmas Day.

But, something was wrong. He knew it. She was hiding something from him and when he held her, she seemed thinner than when he had held her last. Granted, it was an exceptionally long time but he had memorised everything about her and he knew that some people just can't gain weight but it didn't fit right with him. And she definitely wasn't the dieting type who worried about how she looked.

As Gabriella blushed at Troy's eyes locked on hers, she took the brief moment to admire him. He was no longer tall and lanky, but his figure had filled out more – he was still tall – with more muscles. His facial features had defined incredibly and she giggled slightly when she saw the crinkles at the corner of his eyes, telling her he still smiled a lot. His eyes were the same cornflower blue she had drowned in after their first kiss. And his lips…Oh, God…his lips…his hair…

"Gabriella!" Troy yelled as she fell towards his chest.

* * *

"Dad, I need to go!" Troy yelled angrily.

"You can see her after school." Jack said sternly.

Troy took a deep breath and sat down on the seat on the opposite side of his father's desk. "Dad, would you tell yourself that if it was Mom?"

Jack sighed. "That's not the point."

"Yes it is." Troy said softly. "What about Kels, huh? Or me? Would you think to yourself 'I'll wait until after school to see why my wife collapsed' or would you fight through fire to get to that hospital?"

"Of course I would but that's the difference between you and me. I'm married and have two kids. You're just in love." Jack said softly. "Look, Troy, I know what it's like to be in love. I loved your mom since I saw her and in that moment I swore I'd do everything to make sure she was…happy. Think about it, Troy. Gabriella hasn't changed, has she?"

Troy's lips curved into a small smile. "No."

"And can you imagine the lecture she'd give you if you skipped school to go and see her?" Jack tried to joke. "Son, I know you love her. And if you stay at school, it'll keep your mind occupied instead of waiting around for tests and x-rays. And to come up with a way to welcome yourself into her life again."

Troy nodded slightly. "Oh God, Dad! Did you feel ill when Mom felt ill?"

"Your mom or Kelsi's?" Jack asked awkwardly.

"My mom." Troy whispered, avoiding his father's eyes.

"Every time." Jack muttered. "It drove me insane sometimes. Why don't you go to your lesson? Free period is almost over."

"You're not mad about practice?" Troy asked in surprise.

Jack shook his head. "You can make it up to me if you play some one-on-one with Gabriella when she's better."

Troy sighed and smiled slightly. "Dad, could you do me a favour?"

* * *

"Where's Gabby?" Taylor asked worriedly as she sat behind her boyfriend in their homeroom, thankful that only ten more minutes was left of school.

Chad twisted in his seat, clutching his basketball tightly on his lap in an attempt to hide it from Ms Darbus. "What do you mean?"

"I haven't seen her since free period." Taylor exclaimed. "Have you noticed anything off about Troy?"

Chad closed his eyes thoughtfully until they sprang open again. "Everything." He whispered. "Nothing's been right. He hasn't been listening…but all the teachers let him off."

"Troy!" Taylor exclaimed as one of her best friends entered the classroom and sank into the seat next to Troy.

He twisted in his seat to face her and forced a smile. "Hey. What's up?"

"Where's Gabriella?" She asked slowly.

Troy sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "She went to the hospital." He whispered. "I'll explain later." He turned back to the front just as the bell rang and Ms Darbus rose from her throne-like chair.

"Announcements from throughout the day:" She started in her theatrical voice.

The door slammed open and Jack rushed in. "Troy! It's an emergency. You gotta go."

Troy leapt to his feet and ignored Ms Darbus' glare. "What? What happened?"

"Bolton!" Ms Darbus snapped.

"He's got to go. I'm sorry." Jack apologied before turning to his son. "Come on, let's go!"

Troy hurried out of the classroom with Jack following before spinning around to face his father. "What is it? Is it bad? Is she okay? Is she home?"

"Troy!" Jack exclaimed. "I don't know. I just figured you'd have had enough. So, I signed you out, got you this," He paused to give Troy a brown paper bag, "and rang Encarnita's cell phone. She said they're at home now and to think of 'Romeo and Juliet' and Gabriella will explain."

Troy felt his eyes water and he leapt forward to hug Jack. "Dad, I love you. Have I ever told you that?"

Jack chuckled and rolled his eyes. "Go and get your princess."


	5. What's she hiding?

**A/N: I liked this chapter. And I did it in one evening! Now I'm making chapters longer, that sometimes doesn't happen. But, I've got an essay I've got to start writing so...don't expect updates as regularly :( Don't own HSM

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Chapter 4 – What's she hiding?

Troy climbed up the tree he was sure he'd be getting familiar with and chuckled to himself at the irony. He had done exactly the same thing while in Spain. Their parents – Kelsi included – had joked about how they were living like Romeo and Juliet as Troy climbed up onto Gabriella's balcony to spend the night in her room. Shaking his head of the memories and climbed over the railings, landing softly on the balcony. He tried the handle of the French doors and was surprised to find it open. _I seriously need to have a talk with that girl. _He slipped his sneakers off and shut the door quietly.

When he turned to the bed, his breath hitched in his throat when his eyes fell upon the sleeping girl. He let his backpack fall softly to the floor by her bed and he slipped his jacket off with ease, keeping his gaze transfixed on Gabriella. Her black curls were splayed across the pillows and she curled up on top of the blankets, allowing Troy to see she was wearing a thin, pink tank top and the shorts she wore from two years ago. She had a blissful smile on her face and she was hugging the baby pink teddy bear he had won her at a carnival they had gone to in Spain.

He sighed to himself and slowly sat the edge of the bed, brushing a curl from her forehead. He kissed the exposed skin and brushed her cheek with his thumb. "I love you." He whispered.

Gabriella groaned sleepily and shifted closer to him. "What are you doing here?" She murmured.

He chuckled gently and leaned down to kiss her on the lips softly. "I was worried. I need to make sure you were okay."

"I'm fine. The hospital said I was just a bit stressed." She whispered.

"My dad called your mom and said to think of 'Romeo and Juliet' so I climbed your balcony." He smiled when she opened her eyes but noticed how her eyes seemed to show how tired she was.

She giggled drowsily and nodded. "Yeah. You shouldn't be here."

"What? Why not?" He asked in surprise. "Brie, I need to make sure you're okay."

She sighed and allowed him to lie next to her and hold her. "Troy, trust me, I'm fine."

He cupped her cheek gently and kissed her nose. "You don't look it to me."

"Do you trust me?" She whispered.

He nodded. "Of course I do."

"Then believe me when I say the hospital told me to rest tomorrow and then I can go back to school." She smiled softly across at him and giggled when he rolled his eyes.

"Trust Gabriella Montez to collapse and then worry about school." He teased, nudging her nose with his own.

She nodded. "Well, yeah."

"Which reminds me: I got you a present." He grinned as he rolled over to reach for his bag.

"Troy, you shouldn't have." She protested.

"It's fine." He assured her, rummaging through his bag before letting three large books drop onto his bed. "That's geometry, algebra and drama homework."

"Gee. Thanks." She muttered, attempting to hide her disappointment as she started to sit up and reach for her bedside light. Once light filled the room, she pulled her bedside table drawer open and rummaged around before taking out a light blue glasses case out. She snapped it open and placed the dainty pair of glasses on her nose and turned to her books.

"I didn't know you wore glasses now." Troy said in confusion.

She blushed slightly and shrugged, opening the first book. "It's only recently. I wear contacts when I'm at school."

"Why?" Troy persisted.

"Troy, I'm already labelled a geek when people find out I'm a senior and I'm just seventeen. Why should I give them another reason to bully me?" She muttered.

Troy reached over and took the glasses off of her and folded them neatly, placing them neatly inside the case and then reaching past her to place it in the drawer, making Gabriella confused. "You're not doing this work yet. Start it tomorrow." He shut the books and picked them up, carrying them over to her desk. He walked back over and picked his bag back up, producing a brown paper bag.

"What are you doing?" She asked quietly, shuffling back until her back touched the headboard.

He reached inside and produced a small, square, navy blue jewellery box. He scrunched up the bag and dropped it inside his bag and placed it back on the floor. He looked at the jewellery box before handing it to her. "I want you to have it."

Gabriella frowned slightly as she took it from him and watched as he moved to sit beside her, sliding his arm easily around her waist. "What is it?"

"You'll have to open it." He whispered.

Gabriella was just about to open when she froze suddenly. There it was again: footsteps. "Troy, hide." She hissed suddenly.

"What?" Troy whispered, his brow creasing. "Brie, what are you doing?"

"Get under the bed, you idiot." She ordered quietly, watching as Troy scrambled off of the bed and disappeared under the mattress. She hid the jewellery box under her pillow just as her bedroom door opened.

Mariano stepped inside and smiled sadly at his daughter. "My precious Gabby. How are you feeling?" He whispered, sitting on the edge of her bed.

She sighed and smiled weakly. "Me siento bien."

"Tiene algo duele?" Mariano asked softly, feeling Gabriella's forehead.

She whimpered slightly as tears fell from her eyes. "Tengo un dolor de cabeza."

Mariano kissed her forehead and held her tightly. "I know, mi hija. You can't have any more medication yet."

She snivelled into his shoulder and nodded. "I know. I think I'm going to try to have another nap."

Mariano smiled softly and nodded. "Te amo, mi hija."

"Te amo, Papa." She whispered as he kissed her forehead and stood up and left the room and waited until the footsteps vanished before she crawled to the side of the bed and laid on her stomach so she was looking down at Troy. "Hey."

"What was that about?" Troy asked.

Gabriella sighed and shrugged slightly. "My Papa doesn't like me to date anymore." She whispered.

"But, what about me?" Troy asked in confusion as he got from his position under the bed and they both laid down together on the bed. "I thought we were together."

Gabriella turned her head to face him but avoided his eyes, staring at her bedside table instead. "My father knows we're kind of together. But, you never did ask, did you? We just assumed and Papa knows that. He didn't expect me to see you until the upcoming summer and neither did I."

"So, what are you getting at?" Troy asked quietly, tightening his hold on her.

She shrugged half-heartedly. "I don't think the 'us' that goes to school together is a good idea. You'll have to keep calling because my father will figure it out. My mom obviously knows you're here. I'm sorry."

Troy shifted uncomfortably before reaching under the pillow and retrieving the jewellery box. "It's okay. It's not your fault."

She swallowed the tears back and blinked them away. "Troy, I really am sorry. It's kind of my choice as well. It's not that I don't love you or-"

Troy shrugged. "It doesn't matter." He glanced at the clock and sighed as it only read half four. He turned back to her and reached for the hem of her tank top.

She pushed his hands away and shot him a look of disbelief. "Troy, what are you doing?" She squeaked.

He raised an eyebrow. "Nothing like that." He said flatly. "Trust me. Haven't I seen you in much less clothing? And I know you have a bra on underneath. I can see two straps on each of your shoulders."

She blushed slightly and looked him in the eyes. "What are you doing?"

"Trust me. If you don't want to be together, please let me do this." He whispered. "I'm not going to do anything we did on your last night in Spain. I promise."

She sighed and sat up to make it easier for whatever it was he was planning on doing. "Go on."

He swiftly – with an ease which she was sure he had gained from too much practice – removed her tank top and took great care to fold it neatly, placing it on the foot of her bed. He smiled reassuringly at as he reached for the neck of his pale blue and white striped shirt over his head, revealing his muscular six pack. He smirked to himself when he caught Gabriella staring and he handed her his shirt. "It smells like me." He stated simply.

She looked at the material in her hands and rushed to pull it on. It was even baggier than the last one and she felt herself relax at the scent she inhaled. "Do you want the other one back?"

Troy shook his head. "It'll be too small. Do you remember how thin I was back then?"

Gabriella nodded. "But, you've got to get home."

Troy reached for his backpack before producing a basketball jersey. "I had practice, as you know."

"You planned it."

He nodded sadly. "Yeah. So, uh, I'll see you later, I guess." He stood up and pulled his jacket on before zipping his backpack up and slipping it onto his back. "I'll call you later."

"Troy, I just didn't think that-" She started hurriedly.

"It's okay. You didn't think we'd meet again, right?" Troy asked. "Me neither. I just wanted to be with you. I guess I should stop assuming. Anyway, I'll let you get some sleep. I love you, Gabriella." He whispered before dropping the jewellery box onto her desk and slipping his sneakers back on. He opened the balcony doors and disappeared over the railing.

Gabriella sighed to herself and – as curiosity got the better of her – got up and shuffled over to her desk to pick the jewellery box. On the lid, she finally noticed, were words in a gold, curvaceous script: Lucille Nicole Bolton. She gasped to herself and ran her finger gently over the writing and felt tears well in her eyes. Troy had explained how his mother, Lucille Nicole Bolton, had died when he was eight years old due to a severe case of pneumonia. He had never fully gotten over it but when he was thirteen, he told her, his father had started to date Sophie Nielson, Kelsi's mother and had gotten married which was the reason for them to be in Spain that summer.

Shaking the thoughts out of her head, she slowly sat on the edge of her bed and snapped to box open, revealing a golden chain with a large golden ring hooked on it. She studied it and found the word 'Captain' on the outside and '14' on the inside. It was obviously something basketball related and she made a mental note to question Chad about it, highly doubting that Troy would. Another charm fell onto the floor and she rushed to pick it up, smiling gently at the heart-shaped locket which was lying in her palm. _I love you…_ was engraved on the outside with a silver rose engraved beside it. She set the box beside her and she carefully opened the locket, feeling tears well in her eyes when she saw a picture of herself and Troy looking into each other's eyes, smiling at each other and a picture of Lucille and Jack on their wedding on the other side.

She closed it again and held it tightly as she took the chain out. She unclasped it and fumbled with it as she slipped the locket easily on it before clasping it around her neck. She lifted it to her lips and kissed it before closing the box and stowing it safely in her bedside table. She snuggled into her bed and wrapped the sheets around herself as she started to cry softly.

Troy didn't even let her explain. She couldn't blame him. She had hurt him and her as well. He was just worried about her and she ruined it. The reason wasn't just about Mariano either. It was because she didn't want to hurt him even deeper than she just had. She knew she couldn't be fearless around him. He knew her too well, just from hearing her voice. She couldn't keep him in the dark for long. He'd figure out. He already knew something was wrong, she could see it in his eyes. The questions that were there from simply looking at her. She'd have to tell him. Soon.

* * *

Troy pulled his truck, if you could call it that, into his driveway and un-clicked his seatbelt before leaning his head back onto the headrest. Something was wrong. Something was horribly wrong. She was afraid to tell him something and that was not Gabriella. If she could tell anybody anything, it was him. When she was on her period and dosed up on hormones, she would wail into her phone about how unfair it was that girls had to go through stomach cramps every month in order to have children whereas men simply went about their daily business until they saw a girl they likes. Or when she was worried about a test or when her parents had a fight… She told him everything and he gladly listened, if only to hear her voice.

So, what would she hide from him? She had met another guy? No, that wasn't like her. She was moving halfway across the world? They had gone two years without seeing each other because she moved around a lot. What the hell was going through her mind?

Drawing a blank, he reached for his bag on the passenger and pushed his door open, jumping out and slamming it shut. He locked his car and slumped up to the front door, opening it and welcoming the smell of beef casserole. "I'm home." He called before adding in a mutter, "If anyone cares."

Sophie entered the hallway and smiled. "Good evening, Troy. How was school?"

"It sucked." He said angrily, slamming the front door and storming up the stairs to his bedroom. He slammed his bedroom door shut and dropped his bag by his desk.

"Troy?" Kelsi called, knocking on the door.

"Kels, I'm not in the mood." He muttered.

"Well, tough." She shot back, pushing the door open and folding her arms. "What's up?"

Troy sighed. "Where's Dad?"

"Probably in his office." She replied.

Troy pushed past her and rushed back downstairs, making his way to his father's office and knocking on the door. "Dad?"

"Hey, Troy." Jason greeted, holding a glass of milk up. "Did you and Gabriella get busy?"

Troy frowned and walked straight into Jack's office. "Dad, Gabriella hates me!"

Jack jumped and looked up from his computer to face his son. "What?"

"Gabriella hates me." Troy said more quietly.

"She didn't like it? And where is your shirt?" Jack asked, raising an eyebrow at the jersey his son was wearing. He already knew about the last night in Spain but couldn't blame his son as Troy had assured him that Gabriella had wanted it.

"I gave to her. The one I gave her two years ago doesn't smell like me anymore so I gave her the one I was wearing. I love the girl, sue me." He sighed, sitting on the chair opposite his father. "And I don't know if she liked because before I could explain why I wanted her to have or why it meant so much to me, she suddenly decides to tell me that Mariano doesn't allow her to date."

"But, the last two years…" Jack trailed off, rubbing his forehead.

"That was my reaction." Troy exclaimed. "She said that we never really made it official and Mariano didn't think we'd see each other until the summer – and neither did I – but why didn't she tell me earlier?"

Jack shrugged. "Like you said, she wasn't expecting to see you for months. Maybe she didn't think it was important."

"But, that's not what I'm worried about. She's hiding something." Troy whispered quietly.


	6. One step at a time

**A/N: Okay, how long has it been since I uploaded for this one? It feels like forever but it's here. lol. Don't own HSM

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Chapter 5 – One step at a time

Troy kept banging his head against his locker the next day whilst muttering incoherently to himself. Why hadn't she told him that her father didn't let her date even though they were dating – unofficially he admitted – anyway? She knew how she could tell him stuff. And that brought him right back to wonder what she was hiding.

It had been so long since he'd seen her, all he'd wanted to do was hold her in order to believe that she was actually here…in Albuquerque…so far from Winona. But she wouldn't let him. He knew that her excuse had been Mariano, but he knew her better than he knew himself and knew that there had been some of her own thoughts talking.

"Troy, I'm sure getting a headache will not cure your worry for your girlfriend." Sharpay exclaimed as she pulled her best friend back by his collar.

"Please. He's been in a mood ever since he came home last night." Kelsi muttered. "I had to actually go into his room and threaten to drag him to school in his underwear."

"Guys, I'm not in the mood." Troy muttered, shrugging both Sharpay and Kelsi away before turning back to his locker and pulling it open.

Sharpay turned to Kelsi and raised an eyebrow.

"Gabby told Troy last night that her father doesn't allow her to date anymore." The composer explained before pushing her glasses further onto her nose.

Sharpay sighed. "Troy?"

"Go away, Sharpay." Troy said quietly.

Sharpay raised her eyebrows and turned to face Kelsi before they both burst into fits of giggles. "You're asking me to go away when one of my best friends is looking depressed. Not forgetting that this is the opportunity that he will be going on his first official date in two years!"

Troy grabbed the books he needed before shutting his locker and turning around. "And how do you propose I convince not only Mariano, but Gabriella as well? As much as she denies it, I know for a fact that part of her doesn't want to date me, either."

"Why not?" Kelsi asked. "I thought she was all over you? I mean, you talked everyday."

Troy shrugged helplessly. "I know for a fact that she loves me, but she doesn't want to be with me."

"But, that doesn't make any sense!" Sharpay exclaimed. "She wouldn't stop talking about you."

Troy quickly lifted his head. "What?"

Kelsi laughed. "Well, we didn't know it was you at the time. We called you the Spanish boy because we didn't know your name. We only found out because Chad told Tay, Tay told Shar, Shar told Martha and I knew because you got really excited and told me."

"So, she talked about me?" Troy asked slowly.

Sharpay rolled her eyes. "Yes! She kept going on an on about your eyes."

"Not my body?" Troy asked in shock. "She owes me an explanation."

"Yes. But not about that. She owes you an explanation as to why she won't be with you." Kelsi said softly.

Chad approached and clapped Troy on the shoulder. "Hey, Dude, where's your girlfriend."

Troy furrowed his brow and shrugged his best friend off. "Dude, she collapsed yesterday. Besides, she's not my girlfriend."

"But, I thought-" Chad started helplessly.

"Well, I thought that as well. We all thought wrong." Troy muttered. "She doesn't want to be my girlfriend."

"But, I thought-"

"Stop thinking that. That's wrong." Troy yelled, causing the entire hallway to fall silent.

"Sorry." Chad muttered.

Troy coughed slightly and shook his head. "But, she talked about me…so what? I talked about her…kind of…in a roundabout way."

"Troy, I was the only one who knew." Kelsi exclaimed. "Maybe she's scared. Did you ever think of that?"

"Scared of what?" Troy asked incredulously. "I love her. Why would she be scared?"

Sharpay rolled her eyes. "Troy, she hasn't seen you in two years. It's like you fell right out of the sky and into her life. You're the most popular guy in school. Have you told her that?"

"Well, no. I didn't think it was important when we only talking on the phone!" Troy exclaimed, shrugging slightly. "I didn't expect to come to school and find her as the new girl. And my English tutor. Oh God, she's tutoring me. She's not gonna want to do that."

Chad spotted Taylor and grinned. "Well, good luck with Gabby."

Troy stared in disbelief as his best friend left and greeted Taylor with a kiss on the cheek. "Anyway, it's kind of amazing. Everything is going fine and then Brie comes back into my life and I lose her and I'm going to fail English."

Sharpay sighed. "Troy, I'm one of your best friends. Why don't you just talk to her father?"

"Because he scares me." He muttered. "Don't give me that look. Neither of you have met him."

Kelsi sighed, adjusting her bag. "Troy, if you love Gabby, which I know you do, just talk to him."

Troy sighed and leaned back against his locker. "No. Shall I tell you the reason? I want to know why she doesn't want to be with me. I know she said that it was Mariano but I know her. Part of her is talking as well. So, I need to figure out what's going through her mind before I talk to her father."

"You have to talk to him eventually. Do you know how small Albuquerque is?" Kelsi exclaimed. "He'll find out. Besides, you can't go your entire life expecting Gabriella to hide her relationship away."

"I don't want her to. She's the most honest person I've ever met and I don't want to jeopardise the trust her parents have for her." Troy sighed. "But, I'm going to take it one step at a time."

* * *

Gabriella pushed her glasses further up her nose and glanced at her text book before turning back to her notebook and scribbling her answer for the English question she had just read. It was so stupid. She couldn't really blame Troy for being mad at her. But, really, what was she supposed to tell him? The truth? No way. That wasn't going to happen. She had been planning to tell him during the approaching summer but now that she had gone to East High and seen him, everything had been thrown out of whack.

She slammed down the pen she was holding and opened the top drawer of her desk before taking out a white medicine bottle. She stared at it with tears in her eyes before throwing it angrily across her room. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that none of the tablets had fallen out. She slumped back in her desk chair and sighed. It had started precisely twenty one days after she had left Troy and Spain behind. So many appointments… To opticians and doctors and finally appointments just for them to tell her what she already knew. Because she wanted to be a doctor, she had a spectacular knowledge of diagnoses and she had known all along.

But, it wasn't just all of the hospital visits that caused her to be different from all the other teenagers at East High. It was what happened when she went for her third check up. As she had said to Troy, they had been living in Beaufort, North Carolina. In any case, on her third check up, they had found something. Something she had debated telling Troy about but had found it impossible to get the words out once he had actually answered his phone.

She still thought about it everyday. But, the truth was that Gabriella Montez had found out that she was-

"Gabby, are you okay?" Encarnita called through the door.

Gabriella rushed to the other side of her room and picked her medication bottle up. "Si, Mama."

The door opened and Encarnita stepped inside. "Why don't you get some rest?"

"Mom, you can speak Spanish. I won't mind." Gabriella giggled and placed her medication safely back in the drawer. "I'm not tired and I really think I should get this work done."

"Don't strain yourself." Her mother sighed as she walked over and shut Gabriella's books. "What would Troy say if he found out you were working instead of resting?"

Gabriella took her glasses off and put them away. She turned to her mother and shrugged. "He probably wouldn't." She picked her books up and walked over to her book shelf. "I told him about Dad's rule."

"And that's for your own good." Encarnita said softly.

Gabriella turned around after sorting her books out and shot her mother a look of disbelief. "Even Troy? Mom, you and Dad know him. He's the most trustworthy guy I've ever met."

"Then why don't you tell him that you've got-" Encarnita started, her voice rising with annoyance.

"Because I don't want him to feel what I feel everyday of my life." Gabriella cried. "Remember what every doctor has said? I need to live a normal life. And would it be normal if the guy I love feels sorry for me? Would it be fair on him…or me?"

Encarnita lowered her gaze and shrugged. "Don't you think he should know, though? If not about you, about Landon?"

"Why does that matter?" Gabriella asked in a whisper. "It's all in the past and that's where it's staying."

Encarnita rolled her eyes and folded her arms. "What about Troy? If you don't tell him about you why not tell him about Landon? Doesn't he have a right to know?"

"Mom, you're not looking at the big picture. If I tell him about Landon, Troy's going to question everything and he'll end up knowing about me in the end and that's what I'm attempting to avoid." She muttered as she crossed to her bed and sat down. She reached for her pink bear and hugged it tightly.

"I don't want you to lose Troy." Encarnita whispered before she left the room.

Gabriella fell onto her back and groaned quietly to herself. "I think I already have." She whimpered to herself.

Five minutes later, she was curled up in a ball, still hugging her teddy bear and was crying into her pillows. She jumped when her cell phone started ringing and she reached into the pocket of her shorts and brought out her phone. She slid it up and sighed loudly. "Go away."

"Is that any way to talk to your best friend?" Chad's voice gasped dramatically.

"What do you want?" She muttered.

"Well, I want to know why you're making our captain miserable." He retorted.

"It's not my fault." She mumbled. "It's my dad."

"Gabby, come on. Tell me." Chad said softly.

"It's complicated. There's no way I can explain it. Besides, Troy needs to be the first one to know." She whispered as she sat up, her back to her balcony.

"Then tell him." Chad exclaimed.

Gabriella sighed loudly and got into a sitting position. "Chad, it's not that easy. But, can you tell him something?"

"Of course." Chad said sincerely.

"Can you tell him I love him?" Gabriella whispered as she shivered from a sudden gust of cold air. Why was it cold? She shook the thought from her mind when she thought of Troy. God, she had missed him. Tears leaked from her eyes and she used her other hand to rub her eyes.

"Why don't you tell him yourself?" A voice asked softly.

Gabriella slowly turned in her sitting position and smiled slightly. "Chad, I've got to go." She slid her phone down and dropped it carelessly onto her mattress. "Hey." She whispered, bowing her head to concentrate her vision on the pink bear sitting in her lap.

The cold air stopped as Troy closed the balcony doors and he sat down next to her. "How are you feeling?"

Gabriella licked her lips and shrugged slightly. "Okay, I guess. I've been better but, what can you do?"

Troy warily reached over and rested his hand on her knee which was exposed from the mid-thigh shorts she was wearing. He knew she wouldn't wear them in public – just for lounging in her bedroom. "Everyone's really worried."

Gabriella nodded, picking a black piece of cotton from the left arm of the bear. "I bet they are. Your friends seem like the type to worry."

"_Our_ friends. The last I heard, Chad actually managed to stay awake the entire morning." He joked.

She giggled slightly and finally lifted her head. "What are you doing here? You've got, like, three hours before school's over. Isn't it lunch?"

"The perfect opportunity to spend an hour out of school, don't you think?" He raised an eyebrow and squeezed her knee affectionately.

She stared at his hand before reaching over and resting hers on top of his, immediately intertwining their fingers together. "Don't worry. My dad's at work but, my mom's downstairs. She already knows about you so it's cool."

Troy nodded and ghosted his thumb across her knuckles. "So, here's the thing: your dad not wanting you to have a boyfriend."

Gabriella sighed and un-crossed her legs before getting to her feet. She allowed Troy's hand to slip from her own and she dropped the bear onto her bed. She walked over to her desk and opened the top drawer. She rummaged around until she found the square box and she shut it again, walking back to sit with Troy. "Thank you for this. It meant everything to me." She whispered staring at his mother's name engraved on the jewellery box.

"It means everything to me that you're wearing it." He whispered just as quietly. "You know, you remind me so much of her. You never knew what she would do next. She was always plaguing Dad and I to stop playing basketball for one day." He chuckled gently. "But, the thing I remember the most, was that no matter how she was feeling, she always thought about everyone else before herself."

Gabriella smiled slightly and fingered her necklace. "Well, I love it. Thank you. I feel honoured you trust me enough to have it. I'd say I can't accept it but I love it too much."

Troy smirked and pressed his lips to her temple. "What happened to thinking about everyone else before yourself?"

She shrugged as a giggle escaped her lips. "I collapsed yesterday. Cut me some slack." She pouted and ducked her head to look at the jewellery box in her hands.

"You know, my dad got that for my mom for their two year anniversary." Troy said quietly. "Besides, I didn't give that to you because I trust you. I gave that to you because I've waited for two years to see you again. And I wanted you to know that I still love you. Just like I did back then. Just like I'll do tomorrow and next week, next month…"

Gabriella looked up and sighed. "Troy, I didn't expect to see you until the summer. I-I wasn't expecting it. And neither did my dad. Troy, it's complicated. I'm sorry."

"Shh… It's okay." Troy soothed, prying the jewellery box from her hands and reaching over to place it on her bedside cabinet. "Don't worry. It's okay." He placed a gentle, loving kiss to her forehead and held her tightly. "Neither did I. Listen, take your time. But, please remember how small Albuquerque is. Your dad is going to find out sooner or later. And I'd prefer it if he doesn't think that I'm stalking his daughter."

"Haven't you been stalking me for two years, though?" She asked knowingly.

"No." He said confidently. "Because if I had, I'd have done this sooner." He curled a lock of hair behind her ear before picking her up and throwing her softly onto the bed. He heard her yelp through a giggle and crawled on top of her, his hands resting either side of her head, and his knees straddling her hips. "You see? If I was stalking you, we would've been back together long before now."

She smiled brightly up at him, causing his own smile to widen that little bit more. She wound her arms around his neck and played with his hair. "You finally cut your hair."

He jokingly rolled his eyes and winked. "You told me to."

"And what if you never saw me again?" Gabriella whispered as she closed her eyes.

"I would've kept cutting my hair and praying that we did see each other again." He whispered against her lips.

"I do love you." She sighed in response.

Troy pulled back and nodded. "I know. But, like I said, take your time, Beautiful. I'll wait forever."

A soft blush spread across her cheeks and she bit her lip softly. "You're amazing."

"You know how you don't want to be, you know, together?" He asked quietly, leaning on one hand to rub the back of his neck with the other.

Gabriella smiled to herself when his hand brushed hers and she leaned up to reassuringly kiss his cheek. "What about it?"

"Please tell me I can still kiss you. Only, I don't know how much self control I have." He exclaimed indignantly.

She nodded slightly. "Only when we're alone. But, only light kisses. Nothing like Spain, okay?"

Troy sighed. "What?"

She raised an eyebrow and removed her arms from his neck. "Troy, I'm just not ready to have a…"

"Why?" Troy asked quietly.

She shrugged slightly. "A lot has happened since we last saw each other."

"Like what?" Troy asked, resting his forehead on hers.

"Stuff." She replied quietly.

"Gabby, you need to have some more- Oh, hello Troy." Encarnita greeted as she walked into her daughter's room with a glass of water in her hand. "You know, you're lucky Mariano hasn't come home yet."

Troy sat up and cleared his throat. "Uh, hello, Mrs Montez."

Encarnita shook her head in amusement. "Hello, Troy. You know, you can call me Encarnita. I don't mind."

Troy nodded and glanced over as Gabriella as up and shuffled to her head board. "Sorry, Mrs- Encarnita. I came to check on Brie."

She nodded. "I guessed. Listen, Honey, it's twelve. You need your medication. I brought you some water up." She walked over and set the glass on the bedside cabinet. "I'll leave you two alone."

As she left the room, Gabriella climbed off of her bed and walked over to her desk. She opened her drawer and took out the medicine bottle. After tipping two capsules out, she placed the white bottle back in the drawer and walked over to her bed. She downed the tablets with a gulp of water and sighed. "The doctors gave these to me. I think it just helps my body produce white blood cells."

Troy got to his feet and pried the glass gently from her hand, setting it back onto the bedside cabinet. He slid his arms easily around her waist and pressed his lips to her forehead. "I love you."

"I love you, too." She whispered, tears in her eyes. "Don't worry about me. I'll be fine."

"You call me if something's wrong, okay? Or if you just want to talk, to see me, want to make out a little…" His voice trailed off hopefully.

"Nice try." Gabriella smiled. "Don't worry, I'll call you if anything happens and I know my mom will, too."

Troy nodded and kissed her gently. He pulled back slightly but kept his lips just touching hers. "Can you please not wear these shorts while I'm here?" He breathed.

Gabriella giggled and pushed her lips firmly against his, causing him to stumble back and fall backwards onto her bed, taking her with him. She sighed with pleasure when his lips moved skilfully along her jaw line and her previous thoughts of restraining their relationship fled from her mind.

Troy pulled back to look in her eyes, silently asking permission. His hands reached up to brush through her hair as she silently nodded. He sat them both up and pulled his shirt over his head.

* * *

**A/N: In case you're confused, they're not together, together...purely because I'm mean :P**


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